Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluidic device, a testing device, and a method for fabricating a fluidic device.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in order to perform various operations using a liquid, fluidic devices formed of a porous layer such as a sheet through which a liquid is let to flow for separation, mixing, an analysis, etc. have been used. A reagent for detecting an analyte can be placed in a flow path of the fluidic devices. Therefore, fluidic devices can be used as testing devices such as biochemical sensors for blood testing or DNA testing, and chemical sensors for quality control of foods and beverages.
Recently, it has been known to provide the fluidic devices with a flow path having a desired shape according to the purposes for which the fluidic devices are used, by forming a partition wall in the porous layer such as a sheet. For example, there is disclosed a method for forming a partition wall in the interior of a sheet by printing the shape of the contour of the flow path in the sheet with an inkjet printer using an ultraviolet curable ink, and irradiating the printed ink with ultraviolet (see International Publication No. WO2012/160857). There is also disclosed a method of forming a flow path wall in a portion of a sheet with a polymerized photoresist, in order for the remaining portion of the sheet that is enclosed within the flow path wall to be used as a flow path (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2010-515877).
Further, in the recent years, fluidic devices have been used in simple tests in the fieldworks. Therefore, fluidic devices have been required not to be blown away by a wind easily. Further, in order to perform the test correctly, the flow path has been required not to bend or buckle when a force is applied to the fluidic device. In response to such requests, there is proposed a fluidic device having a housing in which a spreading pad of a porous layer is contained (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2009-250763).
However, large equipment is required for forming a partition wall according to an inkjet method or a polymerized photoresist method using an ink made of an ultraviolet curable resin. Therefore, it is difficult to form a partition wall of a fluidic device on demand at the site of the fieldwork, etc. Moreover, in order to prevent the fluidic device from being blown away or the flow path from being bent, it is necessary to manually contain the flow path formed of a sheet, etc. in a housing, which is bothersome.